THIS BLOG OPPOSES DRACONIAN LAWS & POLITICAL SCAPEGOATING BY SOME POLITICIANS! * THE PUNISHMENT IS THE CRIME * FOR A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE * WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? * A) DALAI LAMA: "LOVE, PEACE AND KINDNESS YOU CAN'T BREAK IT." * B) FREDERICK NIETZSCHE: "LOVE YOUR ENEMY." * THERE IS ALSO FORGIVENESS BUT YOU DON'T GET THE COMPLETE PROTECTION UNLESS YOU ACCEPT BOTH OF THE A & B CONDITIONS * & FOR THAT YOU MUST COME TO TERMS WITH C) FORGIVENESS * :-)

Monday, 26 May 2008

The federal police investigation of events surrounding the bungled Haneef terrorism-support case has so far cost $8.2 million and it's not over yet.

But Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty is adamant not all the money has been spent on pursuing the Indian-born Gold Coast medical registrar who was detained at Brisbane airport last July.

"It is not - believe it it or not - all about Haneef," he told a Senate estimates committee hearing.

The investigation - called Operation Rain - was the Australian response and provision of assistance to UK Metropolitan Police in relation to terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow in July 2007, Mr Keelty said.

"The expenditure of resources in assisting the UK metropolitan police and ensuring any Australian connections were appropriately investigated, in addition to the prevention of similar attacks in Australia, is not only an appropriate response but an obligation for the AFP.

"Our current expenditure on Operation Rain as at May 14, 2008 was $8.2 million."

The sum of $3.2 million was directly attributable to the specific investigation of Dr Haneef and related inquiries, Mr Keelty said.

"Over $5 million is attributable to the investigation of other persons of whom I will not be commenting due to operational sensitivities.

The case against Dr Haneef, charged with terror-support offences, collapsed when the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions admitted there was insufficient evidence to obtain a guilty verdict.

Despite that Dr Haneef was kept in detention by immigration officials, on the orders of the Howard government.

Following a federal court decision, Dr Haneef was released and returned voluntarily to India. The case is the subject of a review, ordered by the Rudd government, by former NSW Supreme Court judge John Clarke.

At its peak, Operation Rain involved 249 AFP officers, 225 Queensland police, 12 officers from the Attorney-General's department, 54 West Australian police, 40 NSW police, six Customs officers, two Northern Territory police, one Tasmanian officer, six translators, four other law enforcement agencies and two UK police posted to Australia.

The AFP had also responded to 29 national security hotline reports generated from Operation Rain, Mr Keelty said.

Preventive activities were not as transparent or readily understood as response to a terror attack, such as the 2002 Bali bombings, although they were equally important.

In some cases preventive operation outcomes were much more desired, he said.

"Operation Rain is an ongoing investigation and is also the subject of the Clarke inquiry commissioned by the government," he said.

Terror raid 'message'COUNTER-TERRORISM police yesterday raided the homes of two Sydney men with allegedly extremist Islamic views to "send a message" they were being closely watched and dissuade them from any plans to engage in a terrorist act.

Palestinian exhibition axed after police visitA police spokesman said the officers were from the operations' community contact unit and had come only to "say hi" to Friends of Hebron members. "They went to introduce themselves just to let them know who they are and what they are about. [Speaking with community groups] is part of their charter," he said. "When they got there the librarian was the only one there … they just had a quick chat to the librarian."

AFP colluded with Andrews: Haneef lawyerLawyers representing former [scapegoat] terror suspect Dr Mohamed Haneef have accused federal police of attempting to re-write history following claims investigating officers were caught unaware by a decision to cancel his work visa.

ASIO, police don't trust each other, report findsA LACK of trust between the Australian Federal Police and ASIO has hindered co-operation between the anti-terrorism agencies, a report commissioned after the collapsed prosecution of the Sydney doctor Izhar ul-Haque has found.

Secret policemen's bill: $7.5mMr McClelland separately ruled out compensating or apologising to the Sydney medical student Izhar Ul-Haque, who a Supreme Court judge said had been kidnapped by ASIO officers. The conduct of ASIO in the case of Mr ul-Haque, who was cleared of terrorism charges, is being reviewed by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Ian Carnell.

Tough police powers outlive APECCONTROVERSIAL powers granted to NSW police during last year's APEC summit are likely to be made permanent - or at least available to police for any special event - under a proposal to be taken to state cabinet.

Push for overhaul of laws on terrorismAnti-terrorism laws are just 'state sanctioned terrorism' aimed at 'innocent people' and using them as 'scapegoats' for Australia's 'alleged war on terror'. These laws were meant to project 'fear' in the community that we somehow need to be protected so that the government can wage war on innocent people for resources around the world unchallenged.

Report describes Habib interrogationThe agent said Mr Habib, a former Sydney taxi driver held at the US military prison at Guantanamo for more than two years, endured two 15-hour interrogation sessions with only a short break in between.

UN Torture Committee Blasts AustraliaThe Committee against Torture expressed concern about Australia's counter-terrorism laws. The Committee was also concerned that Australians knew about what was happening in Abu Ghraib, but did not act to stop the mistreatment. In a thinly disguised reference to the cases of Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks, the Committee expressed concern that Australia has failed to investigate claims of torture.

Habib mistreated but not in Aussie embassyThere was little doubt that Mamdouh Habib was badly mistreated after he was detained by Pakistani and US authorities in the wake of the September 11 attacks and no doubt whatsoever that he was taken to Egypt against his will, a Federal Court judge has found.